Current Health Care Marketing Techniques, Research Paper Example

Healthcare marketing has shifted over the course of the past few years.  Some of the change is how the consumer receives and interprets information but also it has changed in part due to how the consumer is choosing the type of healthcare they need.  There are also different areas that are marketing their healthcare products.  There are drug companies developing commercials and other advertisements that paint a vivid picture of the ailments their drug can alleviate or prevent while in the same advertisement they guide the consumer on the actions they need to take to ask their doctor about the specific symptoms.  Health insurance agencies have a different approach in that they push preventative maintenance because a healthy individual without chronic need for medical assistance does not put a financial burden on the insurance company’s bottom line.  Advertising through social media, pamphlets and sponsored events to get health screenings to prevent costly medical expenses is money well invested to potentially prevent larger costs down the road.  With drug companies pushing their products and health insurance companies trying to sell their insurance but prevent its use it all comes down to how the consumer takes action.  There is a shift from how insurance and healthcare was presented in prior generations to a new consumer-driven healthcare where the consumer chooses their healthcare options just as they would choose a home or a new car.  With this type of flexibility and opportunities, the healthcare marketing model has changed to pull in those consumers.

In the era of high-deductible healthcare plans where the consumer provides a portion of upfront financial relief for their healthcare costs, the consumer is gaining a greater appreciation for where they are spending their money.  When consumers purchase healthcare they want a product that is full of form, fit and function and provides just the level of healthcare that they need.  Extraneous options and options that they will never use and provides unnecessary cost and does not increase the perceived value of the healthcare plan.  Healthcare marketing has taken an approach to provide greater transparency into not only their policies but also how hospitals and physicians provide their care.  The trends in marketing of healthcare are moving toward providing the consumer more cost of care and cost of quality for the hospitals and doctors they are choosing.  This shift in providing information is supported by the shift in the burden of healthcare costs and the availability of information to the consumer.

The person seeking healthcare knows that they are going to pay a high deductible and while they are paying out of pocket expenses it puts a premium on the services and quality of those services.  The consumer wants high quality for a reasonable price.  This is the same balance between cost and quality when a consumer purchases a vehicle or other consumable item.  The trends toward transparency are apparent in the marketing trends.  Hospitals, physicians, healthcare providers and insurance agencies are providing information through all aspects of media to provide the consumer with the information they need to choose their particular healthcare venue.

Marketing trends are still following the same lines of providing data but there are also other hurdles that marketing faces.  The consumer is new to purchasing healthcare options and understanding what the actual cost of healthcare is not always evident.  Without the deductible being met the consumer knows that they are going to pay out of pocket expenses.  The amount of those expenses and the value they are receiving for those particular health provisions are not apparent.  Marketing of healthcare costs, quality, paid claims, safety and patient satisfaction can be found through online research and is published by many companies trying to promote their products and services.

Consumer-driven healthcare also drives consumer-driven care.  This means that as consumers are becoming more aware of the type of services they need, the cost of those services and the quality which should be expected they are driving the providers of those services to enhance and tailor their services to meet those demands.  Marketing is a key step in promoting these steps that are taken by the healthcare provider to demonstrate their alignment with the needs of the consumer.  The marketing strategies of these companies are becoming more in line with the general marketing strategies of other consumer goods.  Price comparison tools, mobile applications to see availability, published quality reports on providers and reviews by patients are all available to the consumer of healthcare.

Just as drug companies are pushing advertisements to the consumer to choose their particular brand of drug, hospitals are also taking an aggressive stance on promotion.  This promotion is falling in line with the marketing strategies of other consumer products that rely on competitive advantages, differentiation and awareness by the consumer of their products and services.  Hospitals are taking to billboards, airwaves, television commercials and social media to support and expand their customer base.  Now healthcare solutions are chosen based on what value the consumer can achieve from the healthcare providers service as opposed to a quick remediation to an illness.  Choosing a hospital or doctor becomes a financial decision as opposed to an easily interchangeable aspect of healthcare.  As marketing is used to promote physicians, hospitals and insurance agencies, the marking trend is also moving toward the focus on preventative services as opposed to reactive treatments.  Prevention keeps costs down but also provides a consumer base for the healthcare industry.  This creates a connection between the patients and the healthcare providers and builds a consumer relationship.

The current marketing techniques are impacting consumer trends by providing more transactional and choice-based healthcare decisions(Spoer 2012).  The marketing trends moving from the presentation of the availability of products and services to the transparency of cost, quality and value have shifted bot the consumers and industry to take different actions when consuming healthcare options.  The consumer has the responsibility to research and understand what they need and the healthcare providers are taking strides to promote and differentiate themselves so that the consumers ultimately choose the products and services they provide.

The will be a greater demand on healthcare workers to provide input data regarding the roles and responsibilities they perform at the given facility.  In order to provide transparency to the consumer there must be data to provide.  This data will come from the transactions and performance of the hospital and the hospital workers.In addition to the normal daily, weekly or monthly tasks the healthcare workers are performing a new aspect of reporting and data provisioning will encompass their activities.  Healthcare marking trends are moving toward data intensive inputs to provide transparency on the cost, quality and value the healthcare providers are giving to the consumers.

References

Hirsch. L, and Gandolf, S. (2011). Symptom-targeting and other healthcare marketing trends for 2012 watch list.The Healthcare Marketing Exchange. Retrieved from:http://www.healthcaresuccess.com/blog/healthcare-marketing-advertising/symptom-targeting-and-other-healthcare-marketing-trends-for-2012-watchlist.html

Kuhlman, T., (2009). Consumer-driven health care: a “fork in the road” for employers. Manhattan Institute. Retrieved from:http://www.manhattan-institute.org/consumerdrivenhealthcare/pdfs/Kuhlman.pdf

Spoer, B., (2012). Six trends in an era of consumer-driven healthcare. Becker’s Hospital Review. Business and Legal Issues for Health System Leadership.  Retrieved from:http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/strategic-planning/6-trends-in-an-era-of-consumer-driven-healthcare